Caring for abandoned/orphaned kittens

[wonderstruck016]

Hi everyone. I have just taken in 3 abandoned/orphaned kittens that were born in my neighborhood. They look to be about 3 weeks old and each weigh about 10 oz.

I have been feeding them KMR every 3 hours and they have gradually worked up to eating 10-15cc at each feeding. They have gotten quite good at suckling from the bottle.

I have had them for a little bit over 24 hours and none of them have pooped. I have been stimulating them after feedings and I'm wondering if this is normal?

Also, 2 of the cats are male and are peeing very easily. The female cat (who I am hoping to keep) is only peeing a couple of drops when stimulated. She is eating/drinking plenty and does not otherwise seem dehydrated. Is this cause for concern?

Thank you! I am totally new to kittens and cats so this is quite the adventure ... 

 

[krissy marissy]

Right now it's hard to say because these kittens were likely not getting the amount of food they are now, their body may be using most of it and therefore their bathroom habits are a bit inconsistent right now?

 

[wonderstruck016]

 
Right now it's hard to say because these kittens were likely not getting the amount of food they are now, their body may be using most of it and therefore their bathroom habits are a bit inconsistent right now?

Thank you. When do you think it would become cause for concern if they haven't pooped or if the female continues only peeing a few drops? She also meows/cries loudly when I stimulate her.

 

[Sarthur2]

They are probably adjusting from mom's milk to formula, and as Krissy said, may have missed a few meals.

You can add a drop or two of olive oil to each of their bottles before feeding. This should help them to poop soon. It can take a couple of days for them to poop since changing their diet.

I suggest you mix the female's formula with clear pedialyte in case she has been dehydrated. If she continues not peeing, you'll need to see a vet. She may have a UTI. Keep the stimulating gentle since she is crying. Hopefully she just needs more fluids. You can also give her pedialyte between feedings.

 

[wonderstruck016]

Thank you! I do not have any pedialyte on hand but I may pick some up tomorrow to keep just in case. I gave her a bit of plain water between feedings. I also tried stimulating her in a different position. This seemed to help because she finally let out a LOT of peepee and it was very pale yellow/clear. 

Still no poop from any of the three though. 

 

[Sarthur2]

Glad she finally had a good pee. They will poop soon. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[wonderstruck016]

Glad she finally had a good pee. They will poop soon. [emoji]128522[/emoji]

The girl is now peeing much more consistently and she has even let out a small amount of poo!

Now I am worried about the boys. Their bellies are very rotund and they have still not pooped (it has been 48 hrs since we took them in). They seem uncomfortable and they are eating much less (previously, would take 10-15cc formula at a time, currently reluctant to take 5cc). I tried stimulating and running the bum under a warm flow of water to no avail. I have also tried rubbing their tummies. Is it time to try the vegetable oil?

 

[krissy marissy]

I would try it. You don't need much...just a drop.

 

[Sarthur2]

wonderstruck016

Definitely use a couple of drops of the oil.

You can also try tapping their bottoms with your finger while holding their rear under warm running water.

Or, you can buy infant glycerin suppositories in the baby aisle at a pharmacy, shave off a tiny piece, and insert it into the anus. It should bring on a poop fairly quickly after it dissolves.

Let me know what works!

 

[wonderstruck016]

@wonderstruck016

Definitely use a couple of drops of the oil.

You can also try tapping their bottoms with your finger while holding their rear under warm running water.

Or, you can buy infant glycerin suppositories in the baby aisle at a pharmacy, shave off a tiny piece, and insert it into the anus. It should bring on a poop fairly quickly after it dissolves.

Let me know what works!

Thank you One of the boys pooed since posting. Still waiting on the final boy kitten to poo.

 

[Sarthur2]

Ok, great! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[wonderstruck016]

Good news: they have ALL started pooping

Bad news: they are having some very mild diarrhea and one of the boys is having green diarrhea 

Their appetites do not appear to have been affected by this - they are still eating 15-20 cc of formula per feeding. 

I have started mixing their formula with Pedialyte as suggested. I also added a tiny amount of organic canned pumpkin for fiber. 

Any other suggestions?

 

[Sarthur2]

Yay, they are pooping!

I would stop using the oil and pumpkin and see how they do on just the formula. The poops should be toothpaste-like consistency. Let's see if the green disappears too.

 

[wonderstruck016]

I called my vet and she advised to bring in the lime green pooper (his name is Cobalt) to get checked out. My mom cared for the kitties while I was at work this morning and said he pooed green again however the consistency was improved. I was planning on taking them in soon anyway so it's just a bit sooner than planned. I hope he is OK. I will let you all know what the vet tells us!

 

[wonderstruck016]

I also just wanted to say this forum has been great I appreciate all the help and reading through other peoples posts! I am learning so much!

 

[Sarthur2]

Glad you are taking Cobalt to the vet! [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[wonderstruck016]

Vet says Cobalt looks and acts like a healthy kitten. I have been tagging him with some blue non-toxic food coloring on his paw because he looks identical to one of his brothers, so we think maybe the blue has mixed in with his natural poo color and created a green tinge 

That being said she asked me to bring in a stool sample as we couldn't get him to go at the clinic. I'll be dropping it off this morning. She wanted to test for worms and parasites and advised if he has them the whole litter probably does and we can be proactive in treating everybody.

Is there anything else I can be doing to prevent dehydration in the meanwhile besides mixing the KMR with Pedialyte? The diarrhea is mild-moderate and none of them are showing signs of dehydration, but I would like to keep it that way ...

 

[wonderstruck016]

IMG_1329.JPG

• wonderstruck016
• Jun 24, 2016

This is Cordelia. She is incredibly social and playful! This is the kitten I am planning to keep

IMG_1343.JPG

• wonderstruck016
• Jun 24, 2016

This is the infamous lime-green pooer Cobalt! My husband loves this little guy. If plans fall through with his tentative new home we may keep him as well.

IMG_1344.JPG

• wonderstruck016
• Jun 24, 2016

This is Carlyle! He LOVES to eat and is a big sweetheart. He also has a tentative new home to go to once he is weaned  

 

[Sarthur2]

I do think his poop color may be from ingesting food coloring.

Have you stopped adding anything else besides pedialyte to their formula? Are they all still having diarrhea?

If they are, a round of Albon will clear up any intestinal bacteria that may be causing the loose stools.

They are just precious! [emoji]128149[/emoji]

 

[wonderstruck016]

IMG_1329.JPG

• wonderstruck016
• Jun 24, 2016

This is Cordelia. She is incredibly social and playful! This is the kitten I am planning to keep

IMG_1343.JPG

• wonderstruck016
• Jun 24, 2016

This is the infamous lime-green pooer Cobalt! My husband loves this little guy. If plans fall through with his tentative new home we may keep him as well.

IMG_1344.JPG

• wonderstruck016
• Jun 24, 2016

This is Carlyle! He LOVES to eat and is a big sweetheart. He also has a tentative new home to go to once he is weaned  

I do think his poop color may be from ingesting food coloring.

Have you stopped adding anything else besides pedialyte to their formula? Are they all still having diarrhea?

If they are, a round of Albon will clear up any intestinal bacteria that may be causing the loose stools.

They are just precious! [emoji]128149[/emoji]

Thank you

Yes - all that they have in their formula is Pedialyte. Their poo is still creamy/soft-serve like. I don't know if they truly have "diarrhea" because they are not like having blow outs - they are pooping a relatively normal amount (1-3 times a day) it's just a poor consistency that has me worried. 

I dropped off the stool sample at the vet this morning. They said they would process it right away and no news is good news for parasites and worms. So far, I have not heard back from them so I am assuming we are all clear. They are open until 6 though so I suppose I could still hear back later. 

Is Albon something I can pick up at the pet store or would I need to ask for it from our vet?